3 more former LA Angels players to reunite with Luis Garcia in Anaheim

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The Los Angeles Angels made their biggest signing of the offseason thus far, inking Luis Garcia to a one-year deal. It's nothing flashy, but Garcia does make a subpar bullpen a bit better. There's a whole lot more work to be done, but it's a good start.

What makes Garcia an interesting signing, outside of the fact that he's a solid middle reliever, is the fact that he was once an Angel. Garcia spent the 2019 season with the Angels and pitched decently, posting a 4.35 ERA in 64 appearances and 62 innings pitched. He walked the ballpark, but wasn't the worst middle reliever the Angels have ever had.

With the Angels bringing Garcia back to Anaheim, the question has to be asked. Will any other former Angels be joining him? These three make some sense.

1) Matt Moore

Matt Moore was one bright light in what turned out to be another bad Angels bullpen. He did miss some time due to injury, but when healthy, he was their most consistent reliever. He wasn't quite as good as Carlos Estevez in the first half, but he didn't collapse in the second half like the Angels closer did.

Whether or not Moore considers the Angels after they waived him in August when they were out of it remains to be seen, but as he was last season, he'd be an excellent fit in their 2024 bullpen.

Moore was their primary left-handed option out of the 'pen, and was often used in the eighth inning ahead of Estevez. Everyone remembers the Estevez save streak, but Moore recorded 20 consecutive holds before blowing his first save. He was as reliable as any late-game left-handed reliever in the game.

The Angels did sign Adam Kolarek to add a lefty to the bullpen, but he shouldn't be anywhere near high-leverage moments. Moore is battle tested, and has done it in this Angels uniform before. It can even be argued that he'd be the best option at closer ahead of Estevez. Regardless, Moore is a player the Angels absolutely should be considering if he's open to returning.

2) Michael Lorenzen

The Angels gave Michael Lorenzen the chance to re-establish himself as a starting pitcher ahead of the 2022 season. He missed time due to injury, but when healthy, he was a solid back end of the rotation arm for the Halos. The right-hander had a 4.24 ERA in his 18 starts and 97.2 innings of work.

Lorenzen expressed interest in returning to Anaheim last offseason and the Angels had an opening in their rotation, but the team opted to let him go to Detroit and really regretted that decision.

Lorenzen was an all-star for the first time as he pitched wonderfully for the Tigers, but his season went downhill after a trade deadline deal which sent him to the Phillies. Lorenzen's tenure in Philadelphia got off to a magical start as he twirled a no-hitter in his second start with his new team, but he struggled after to the point where he was moved to the bullpen and was a non-factor in the postseason.

Despite his late-season struggles, the Angels should look into bringing Lorenzen back to fortify the back end of their rotation. You can never have enough starting pitching, and it's very possible this right-hander will only be looking for another one-year deal. He pitched well enough to earn another shot with the Angels in 2022, and it'd be a worthwhile gamble hoping he can revert back to his 2023 first half form.

3) Mike Ford

Matt Moore and Michael Lorenzen both had at least some success in an Angels uniform, but Mike Ford didn't do much with his opportunity to play. He was signed to a minor league deal in August of 2022 and played a lot down the stretch, but had just a .667 OPS in his 99 plate appearances. For a player who provides next to no value in the field, that's obviously not good enough.

Ford went to the Mariners last offseason and only played in 83 MLB games, but when given the opportunity, he played as well as he ever has in the majors. The 31-year-old slashed .228/.323/.475 with 16 home runs and 34 RBI in his 251 plate appearances. Ford had a 122 OPS+, and helped Seattle rebound after a poor first half.

While he doesn't have a lengthy track record, Ford does make sense as a player the Angels could platoon at the DH position. No, he doesn't make much sense if Ohtani returns, but if Shohei leaves, the DH spot is wide open and Ford can fill that void for cheap. He wouldn't be an exciting addition nor should he be their top focus, but Ford does make some sense for that role, assuming he can hit the way he did in 2023.

Signing him would allow the Angels to pour more resources into their pitching, which is what this team desperately needs. Again, shouldn't be the first choice, but isn't the worst choice either.

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